Can a Shower be Made With Rock Tile?

Realities of Stone

• Stone may be one of the most durable products you can build your shower out of, but it is also one of the hardest to work with. There is a reason master craftsmen make $75 per hour or more as of 2011 and that is because it takes years of experience to know the best ways to work with stone. In addition, it is a very grueling task physically and, between the handling of the concrete and the stones, you are in for a back-breaking project.

Waterproofing

• Before you can even begin to think about adding stone to your shower, you have to ensure that the entire wet area that will receive the stone has been waterproofed. This can either be a paint-on type of waterproofing applied to the face of the underlayment or it can be a waterproof underlayment. You could also use a membrane system or one of many other waterproofing methods to protect the materials behind the stone wall from water.

Mud Floating

• If you are dealing with natural tiles that haven’t been machined down to same-size dimensions, you will have to use a mud float installation rather than combing on thinset with a notched trowel. Notched trowels don’t provide enough mud for rough-hewn stone tiles, and you will need to instead float mud up the wall on top of a layer of chicken wire that is tacked onto the wall. The wire holds the mortar in place and the mortar bonds the stones. For same-sized pieces, use a trowel to apply mortar just as you would for ceramic tile.

Sealing

• Once all of the stones have been installed, you have to seal the surface of the installation. If you don’t seal natural stone, the water from your shower will seep through the stone. While you have a layer of waterproofing under the installation, it is always best to have multiple forms of protection. In addition, the sealer protects the grout and the mortar beneath from excess water, which can lead to joint stains.